Buying Advice GC1700 for landscaping/yard work

[srpape]

Hi all,

Brand new poster, here, though I've been reading for a few days.

I'm considering buying a MF GC1700 series tractor soon. The prices seem to be better than the similar competitors I've been comparing against, and I only ever hear good things about them.

I have 4.8 acres of land, and it's more of a field than a yard. It's very uneven, there are long ditches where they ran power but didn't bother to fill in, mounds I'd like to take down, holes to fill in, etc.

My goals are:

• Be able to mow the property in a reasonable amount of time (Looking at the 60" deck)
• Do some rough grading so that I can mow easily
• Dig out some drainage ditches that have deteriorated
• Move snow in the winter
• Be able to till a fairly small vegetable garden (eventually)
• Plant some trees/fence posts
• General landscaping

It sounds like the GC1700 series will do what I need (I'm fine with doing small sections at a time). I'm trying to decide if I really need that backhoe, though, since it'll add somewhere around $5,000 to the cost. I'm also trying to decide if the GC1720 is worth the extra $1500 or so, for extra 2.5HP and a nicer seat, but it sounds like that's more preference than necessity.

If anyone has any general recommendations on how I'd go about grading the yard, I'd love to hear. It sounds like maybe just dragging around a box blade will work? Or I'd have to rototill first?

Since I was getting landscaping estimates of around $7-10k per acre, it seemed more worthwhile to buy a SCUT.

Thanks for any advice!

-Stephen

 

[TSO]

I'd rather do the work you are describing with the next sized up machine, like the 1726 ... a Backhoe would always be nice, but if you don't have specific needs already planned for it, then it might be $5k you don't need to spend, and instead rent a mini-x if/when you need one.

The reason I would go with the next size up is for clearance and traction out in the fields, doing "grading" work.

 

[Snobdds]

Bigger is always better, and time is money. However the GC series can do everything you need done, just takes longer. I would never go without a backhoe, there that handy. Can't comment on the hp difference but it's the same engine, so the difference is fueling in the injection pump.

Drive both the GC series and 1700 series, either way you can't go wrong.

 

[srpape]

Bigger is always better, and time is money. However the GC series can do everything you need done, just takes longer. I would never go without a backhoe, there that handy. Can't comment on the hp difference but it's the same engine, so the difference is fueling in the injection pump.

Drive both the GC series and 1700 series, either way you can't go wrong.

Thanks, I don't expect it to be a quick project, just a little here and there until it's done.

Any suggestions on implements I'd need to get started with some grading ? A lot of the videos I see have a huge tractor pulling some huge implement that I'm not sure I'd be able to handle.

 

[srpape]

I'd rather do the work you are describing with the next sized up machine, like the 1726 ... a Backhoe would always be nice, but if you don't have specific needs already planned for it, then it might be $5k you don't need to spend, and instead rent a mini-x if/when you need one.

The reason I would go with the next size up is for clearance and traction out in the fields, doing "grading" work.

Thanks for the advice.I do have some specific needs for a backhoe, but I don't know if I will once I've had it for a couple of years. I guess it can always come in handy. Originally I thought I'd get the 1705, and possibly add a backhoe down the road, but then I learned that you can't just add it on later.

Looking at the 1726E... doesn't seem like you can add a backhoe from the dealer. Also, adding a front loader to it puts it up around almost the same price as the GC1720, which has the backhoe already. More is always better, but I'm trying to keep the cost down somewhat.. I'm willing to spend more time to spend less money, as long I'm not way off base with my expectations of the GC1700s.

 

[AxleHub]

Srpape . . Welcome to tbn.

I really like my gc1715. I considered the backhoe desire vs. need myself and I just didn't have the justification to store it more than use it because my trenching needs were done.

What I'm not clear on is your land contour and condition. As an example . . is your land full of small trees and deep farm ruts ? If so some will talk about brush hogging the property and then using a backhoe to pull stumps and then start leveling. But an alternate choice is to hire a guy with a good sized cat and in one action he can tear out the trees while rough leveling. This option is cheaper in cost and then you can use your tractor to ick up and transpirt all the small trees with rot ball to a pile and burn. But you don't need a backhie or hogging because the ground is quickly leveled and cleared and then your time is spent on eorking the areas to finish grades etc..

For me the difference of a gc1705 vs gc1715 was 1200.00 and that gave me a better seat, armored tail lighrs and 2.5 hp . . and those items increased my future benefits so I was glad I chose as I did. Recognize more hp is true for fel, for post hole digger or tiller needs or mmm.

Warranty is long and the unit is solid built and sure footed. Massey offers a hand full of finance options at good rates and their insurance option is very attractive. There are 4 mmm options (mine is the true mulcher) so you have numerous choices. And lets not forget a little larger seating platform for coats and boots and leg comfort and a front flow engine cooling method.

 

[brasco426]

A BoxBlade can be quite handy and there are plenty of videos out there of them being used. Axel and the others make good points. I pull a 5' BoxBlade around with a 24 hp tractor with R4 tires, and their not loaded with no problems.

 

[AxleHub]

And another thing helpful in the op's statements is this is a "no rush" effort. I know 2 people who bought bigger tractors because of a couple upfront needs and then it sat and sat because a smaller tractor could handle all the othet activities easier and more conveniently.

Sounds like the op could really make the project a nice one . . especially if for less than 1000.00 he could get a cat to do all the early big effort. 1 day or so is all it should take unless the contour is really bad or there are big trees to clear.

 

[sdcharger]

• Be able to mow the property in a reasonable amount of time (Looking at the 60" deck) Advantage GC 1700, no belly mower for 1700E series You would have to pull a finishing mower.
• Do some rough grading so that I can mow easily Advantage 1700E series, it's heavier, more powerful, and more stable machine
• Dig out some drainage ditches that have deteriorated Advantage 1700E series, it's heavier, more powerful, and more stable machine
• Move snow in the winter Advantage 1700E series, it's heavier, more powerful, and more stable machine
• Be able to till a fairly small vegetable garden (eventually) Advantage GC 1700, in a small garden, I think the sub compact would shine
• Plant some trees/fence posts Advantage 1700E series, it's heavier, more powerful, and more stable machine
• General landscaping Advantage 1700E series, it's heavier, more powerful, and more stable machine

General thoughts on the list you posted (I'm a novice with limited tractor experience but the opinions are free)

 

[srpape]

Srpape . . Welcome to tbn.

I really like my gc1715. I considered the backhoe desire vs. need myself and I just didn't have the justification to store it more than use it because my trenching needs were done.

What I'm not clear on is your land contour and condition. As an example . . is your land full of small trees and deep farm ruts ? If so some will talk about brush hogging the property and then using a backhoe to pull stumps and then start leveling. But an alternate choice is to hire a guy with a good sized cat and in one action he can tear out the trees while rough leveling. This option is cheaper in cost and then you can use your tractor to ick up and transpirt all the small trees with rot ball to a pile and burn. But you don't need a backhie or hogging because the ground is quickly leveled and cleared and then your time is spent on eorking the areas to finish grades etc..

For me the difference of a gc1705 vs gc1715 was 1200.00 and that gave me a better seat, armored tail lighrs and 2.5 hp . . and those items increased my future benefits so I was glad I chose as I did. Recognize more hp is true for fel, for post hole digger or tiller needs or mmm.

Warranty is long and the unit is solid built and sure footed. Massey offers a hand full of finance options at good rates and their insurance option is very attractive. There are 4 mmm options (mine is the true mulcher) so you have numerous choices. And lets not forget a little larger seating platform for coats and boots and leg comfort and a front flow engine cooling method.

Thanks for the information! My lawn is tree/stump free, so no problems there. It's just overgrown with tall weeds, and the terrain is very uneven. My riding lawnmover gets stuck all the time because there are steep bumps and ruts. For example, when they ran power underground to the house, they dug out a trench all the way to the road. When they filled it back in, either they didn't bother grading it, or it sunk in. Along this large ditch, there's a long mound that also goes to the road. Same idea where they ran power/pipes to the well, there's just a big ditch from the house to it.

Besides that, the yard is just very uneven in general. The old riding mower was constantly hitting the dirt with the mower blade because of this, or getting stuck when I come up to a steep mound. There are also rocks everywhere that I'd like to reduce.

I'm not looking for golf-course quality here; I want it graded enough to be able to mow it easily, and to avoid smashing the mower deck on every rock in the lawn.

 

[srpape]

General thoughts on the list you posted (I'm a novice with limited tractor experience but the opinions are free)

Thanks sdcharger. My reasoning for leaning towards the 1700 is that (possibly a few years from now) the yard will be graded, trees/posts will be planted, and I'll mainly need it for smaller projects after that. Mowing, vegetable garden, snow. It's also a matter of cost.

I'm not really clear on the advantages of a finishing mower vs a belly mower, but I had only really considered the belly mower.

 

[srpape]

A BoxBlade can be quite handy and there are plenty of videos out there of them being used. Axel and the others make good points. I pull a 5' BoxBlade around with a 24 hp tractor with R4 tires, and their not loaded with no problems.

That's good, I was a little worried about lack of power for pulling things like that. I haven't really seen any good explanatory videos on YouTube; most of the time it's just a guy pulling one around and I'm not really sure what's happening. Do you just kind of drag it around the yard? Do I have to remove the sod first? I was thinking of using the front loader to scrape up the sod, and then maybe a box blade to do the actual leveling, but I'm very new to this.

 

[jenkinsph]

Thanks sdcharger. My reasoning for leaning towards the 1700 is that (possibly a few years from now) the yard will be graded, trees/posts will be planted, and I'll mainly need it for smaller projects after that. Mowing, vegetable garden, snow. It's also a matter of cost.

I'm not really clear on the advantages of a finishing mower vs a belly mower, but I had only really considered the belly mower.

I would recommend you do more looking to find someone with a larger tractor to get your property smoothed up. A couple of days with a larger tractor and good operator would make a huge difference.

Once the rough work is done, ditches filled, larger bumps and holes filled but not finish graded you could take over with the GC series. This will save you a lot of time and money and reduce the wear and tear on your new tractor.

 

[ohmyback]

I just traded my John Deere 750 for the GC1705. The JD has a similar foot print of the 1526 or 1700 series Massey's. For working close to the house and around the trees the GC1700 series is a big improvement. The 60" deck cuts very nice also.

 

[jibe717]

I agree with what axlehub said about upgrading. I was considering the GC1705 but the dealer didn't have one on hand at the time but I was able to sit on a GC1720 but ultimately decided that I wanted a heavier tractor so I went with a 1726E. This upgrade cost me about 3k but in the long run it will be worth it since it will be better with the heavier machine on the terrain that it will go over.

 

[AxleHub]

General thoughts on the list you posted (I'm a novice with limited tractor experience but the opinions are free)

Sdcharger . . The list and opinions seemed to miss a couple things:

1. A priority of use. The op will do alot more mowing and landscaping than some things that are 1 time only activities. Those things should. Reflect a more important emphasis imo.

2. Cost difference both in initial purchase and in maintenance costs and servicing.

3. Are there things that one tractor can hurt the property or is limited in its usefulness. As an exammple a 1700e as a mower would be hard on an "establishing yard" situation. It would also potentially require more laen repair and limited landscaping once the lawn is established (especially in damp or strained weather dryness..

Just spme thpughts.

 

[sdcharger]

Axlehub, my opinions about the relative strength's of the different machines are addressing the specific issues on his list. I can now see why he is leaning towards the GC1700 machine, as he has now defined which needs are most important going forward (price, small projects, mowing, small garden). The GC1700 series is definitely better for lawn mowing duties as the 1700E can't even be outfitted with a belly mower. The price difference of a GC1705 w/FEL at around $12,100 versus 1726E w/FEL at around $16,600 is significant as well.

I would encourage srpape to look at the Mahindra Max 24 before he buys a GC1700 for comparison.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

I like the GC in the SCUT class. I think it will do everything you need, some tasks better than others, some faster than others, but its a great all around machine. I would recommend getting the backhoe. If you are thinking about it now, you'll regret not getting it later. I also love my front snowblower!

If you are considering something slightly larger, I would strongly recommend you take a look at the Kubota B-series. Massey doesn't have a competitive machine in that size/feature range any more. The current 1700E series used to be the 1500 series, and when they renamed it, they did away with the small frame models, 1526 and 1529. The smallest 1700E series starts at about 2500 lbs, which is great for a lot of stuff, but kinda heavy on a lawn. With an operator and MMM, you'll be ~3K lbs.

 

[bronzey]

Hi all,

Brand new poster, here, though I've been reading for a few days.

I'm considering buying a MF GC1700 series tractor soon. The prices seem to be better than the similar competitors I've been comparing against, and I only ever hear good things about them.

I have 4.8 acres of land, and it's more of a field than a yard. It's very uneven, there are long ditches where they ran power but didn't bother to fill in, mounds I'd like to take down, holes to fill in, etc.

My goals are:

• Be able to mow the property in a reasonable amount of time (Looking at the 60" deck)
• Do some rough grading so that I can mow easily
• Dig out some drainage ditches that have deteriorated
• Move snow in the winter
• Be able to till a fairly small vegetable garden (eventually)
• Plant some trees/fence posts
• General landscaping

It sounds like the GC1700 series will do what I need (I'm fine with doing small sections at a time). I'm trying to decide if I really need that backhoe, though, since it'll add somewhere around $5,000 to the cost. I'm also trying to decide if the GC1720 is worth the extra $1500 or so, for extra 2.5HP and a nicer seat, but it sounds like that's more preference than necessity.

If anyone has any general recommendations on how I'd go about grading the yard, I'd love to hear. It sounds like maybe just dragging around a box blade will work? Or I'd have to rototill first?

Since I was getting landscaping estimates of around $7-10k per acre, it seemed more worthwhile to buy a SCUT.

Thanks for any advice!

-Stephen

Hi Stephen

I recently purchased a 1705 and have only done about 14 hours. Like you I had heard good things about them and can confirm that they really are a great tractor. I have used the loader for heaps of things so far with no issues. The R4 tyres give a good solid footprint with plenty of traction. The hydrostatic is great for forward/back loader work. The low rated RPM of 2600 appealed to me over others and the engine is not excessively load. The operator deck, controls and pedals are easy and comfortable to use. The seat adjustment is also handy if you have short or long legs!

I contemplated going for the model with the backhoe, however in the end decided against it as I just didn't have the uses for it. Also it was a matter of cost, at some point you just have to draw a line. If there are any jobs that requires a backhoe in the future I will just hire a contractor.

Good luck with your tractor research and purchase.

 

[srpape]

Thank you, everyone, for all of the great advice. Being "new to the field" (hah), I've been struggling about the details of such a large purchase. It's good to hear that I'm not completely off base with my expectations.